Two more people have been arrested in connection with the deaths of 39 people found in a lorry container in Essex, police have said.
Following warrants in Cheshire, a 38-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman from Warrington have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to traffic people and on suspicion of 39 counts of manslaughter.
It takes the total number of people in custody to three, with the driver of the lorry arrested on suspicion of murder at the scene of the discovery in Grays in the early hours of Wednesday.
The latest arrests come amid preparations for post-mortem examinations, which will begin on Friday.
At least 11 of the victims found at Waterglade Industrial Park have been taken to Broomsfield Hospital in Chelmsford, with all of the bodies expected to be moved by the end of the week.
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Essex Police said on Thursday that the 31 men and eight women are believed to be Chinese, but in their latest statement the force said the "picture may change regarding identification" as the investigation continues.
After they were found at the industrial park, they were moved to a more sensitive site at nearby Tilbury Docks.
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They are now being taken to hospital in stages.
Essex Police said: "This is all being done in close liaison with HM Coroner and we continue to work to ensure that the dignity of victims and respect for their loved ones are at the forefront of our investigation."
Police are yet to name or charge any of the three suspects, but Sky sources identified the driver as Mo Robinson, 25, from the town of Portadown in County Armagh, Northern Ireland.
Three addresses in County Armagh have been searched by police following the arrest of Mr Robinson, which is said to have left his family "stunned".
They only found out about the arrest when a picture of him appeared in the media.
Their local councillor, Paul Berry, told Sky News: "His family are very well respected in the area and are very actively involved in community organisations.
"Our heart goes out to them because as of yesterday morning they were not aware that he had been arrested."
He added: "The community's thoughts and prayers are with the family of the 39 people who have lost their lives. People are devastated but also stunned and shocked that someone local has been arrested."
The lorry cab Mr Robinson was driving started its journey in Northern Ireland, from where it headed to Dublin and then caught a ferry to Holyhead in north Wales, before meeting the trailer in Purfleet not long after midnight.
Belgian authorities believe the container went to the UK from Zeebrugge at 2.49pm local time on Tuesday.
Mayor Dirk De Fauw, also the chairman of the port of Zeebrugge, has insisted it was "virtually impossible" the victims went into the trailer at the Belgian border.
He told Belgian media all trailers that went through the port are "systematically checked".
He added: "Trailers are filmed until they are on the ferry. In the terminals too there are cameras. Breaking the seal, putting 39 people in a trailer and resealing the trailer without anybody noticing is virtually impossible."
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The Belgian public prosecutor's office said it is "not clear" when and where the victims were placed in the container, which was owned by Irish company Global Trailer Rental.
The firm said it rented out the container – said to have been fitted with a Read More – Source
